The government has entered a decisive phase in its effort to chart a long-term national development agenda, expanding public consultations under the ‘Viluntheri Raajje 2045’ initiative, translated as Resilient Maldives 2045, to the Greater Malé region.
Branded as ‘Kurimagu Salla’, or “future dialogue,” the campaign seeks to gather citizen input on the country’s developmental trajectory over the next two decades. The consultation series commenced in the capital region, with the inaugural session held at Aminiya School in Malé.
Consultations have already reached 92 percent of the nation’s inhabited islands. Sessions have been conducted in 173 locations, drawing participation from more than 8,200 individuals. This extensive outreach reflects a deliberate effort to ground the national plan in perspectives drawn from across the country.
With the atoll consultations nearing completion, the focus in November shifted to the Greater Malé region, the country’s most densely populated urban area. Sessions were scheduled from 7 to 14 November, targeting residents of Malé and its satellite communities. The programme included meetings in Hulhumalé Phase I on 8 November at Rehendhi School, in Villimalé on 9 November at Muhyiddheen School, in Malé on 13 November at Ahmadiyya International School, and in Hulhumalé Phase II on 14 November at S’alaah’udhdheen School.
Each Kurimagu Salla session is structured as a working meeting, designed to elicit citizens’ visions for the future. Mohamed Inaz, climate change and environment specialist responsible for the formulation of the national development plan, underscored the participatory nature of the process. “We are seeking to understand the aspirations of all participants regarding the future,” he said.
Inaz affirmed that the final plan would be shaped by the ideas and input provided by participants from both Malé and the outer atolls. “Specifically, what is the collective vision held by all stakeholders for the year 2045?” he explained. “These sessions are crucial meetings convened solely for the purpose of idea generation and collection. After aggregating the ideas from all participants across all islands, we will formulate this national development plan, ensuring it is grounded in and fully informed by those expressed discussions and perspectives.”
Once the consultation phase concludes, the process will advance to policy development. This next stage involves structuring the plan’s policies based on the advice and ideas submitted by participants, encompassing both short-term priorities and the broader long-term vision.
The Resilient Maldives 2045 initiative is being implemented through a collaboration between the President’s Office and the Ministry of Finance and Planning. Operational responsibilities have been assigned to a private consultancy firm.